


Unusual Tranquility

by AlwaysandAlso



Series: Cal and Kanan [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game), Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Friends, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Humor, Jedi Temple, Kyber Crystals, Lightsabers, Pre-Order 66, Psychometry, This fic is purely self-indulgent, i just wanted some good cal and Caleb bff content so I made my own, no beta we die like men, their relationship is purely platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:34:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23819302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysandAlso/pseuds/AlwaysandAlso
Summary: Before Order 66 turned their lives upside down, Caleb Dume and Cal Kestis were best friends. Here are some of the highlights.
Relationships: Caleb Dume & Cal Kestis, Kanan Jarrus & Cal Kestis
Series: Cal and Kanan [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1702039
Comments: 10
Kudos: 84





	1. Nicknames

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if this fic is a little more Cal-centric. I tried to flesh out his character a little more, and since Kanan has a comic series and all of Rebels for character development, I let him take the backseat a little bit. They are both the most prominent characters though don’t worry!

“Ow hey, can you stop?”

“No”

“If you don’t stop that right now I will... I’ll tell Master Windu!” Another pea hit him square in the face.

“No can do Red, I’m on a mission” 

“Mission for wh-“ 

Cal was cut off as one of Caleb’s projectiles was shot into his mouth. He was left coughing and sputtering while his assailant smiled and fist-pumped the air. 

“Haha! Mission success!” 

Cal, now leaning over the side of the table they were both sitting at, stopped coughing and turned to look at him. “You’re crazy... you’re..” his face went distant, eyes not really focusing on everything. “A better Jedi than you? Aww thank you! You shouldn’t have” A few beats of silence. “Red? what’s up with.. oh kriff!” In an instant he was at his friends side, hands firmly gripping Cal’s shoulders. 

“Hey, it’s going to be ok alright? I didn’t think a pea would trigger a vision I’m sorry” Caleb leaned close when-

“Boo!” 

Startled, Caleb flinched and fell backwards, landing on the ground with a thud.

“Ha! Gotcha! Mission success!” Cal said through fits of laughter. 

“That’s not fair! I was actually worried that I triggered a psychometry echo!” Caleb pouted, crossing his arms.

“That’s what you get for pelting me with food.” He moved to sit down cross-legged on the ground in front of Caleb. “ Also, Red? Really? That’s not even a cool nickname.” 

“It fits though doesn’t it? Other then the obvious,” he gestured towards his hair “ you turn red at the littlest things!”

“That’s not.. I don’t-“ 

“See what I mean? Your ears are turning red right now!” he said while smiling wide.

“Kriff off” Cal covered his ears while his face grew steadily warmer. 

“Here I’ll make a deal with you,” Caleb’s face just screamed mischief. “If you beat me in a saber duel I’ll give you a new nickname”

“Oh you’re on!”

The duel ended in a tie. Cal flat on his back, practice saber jabbing his opponent in the stomach with Caleb’s saber at his neck.

“Guess you’re still gonna be Red.” blade retreating from Cal’s neck. He pulled his friend off the ground and went to put his practice blade away.

“Hey Caleb, I have a nickname for you”

“Yeah? and what’s that?”

“Stupid”

The last thing Cal saw was Caleb charging him towards him, saber prepared to swing.


	2. Illum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal and Caleb travel to Illum to find their kyber crystal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of played around with Cal’s Psychometry this chapter so while it’s not 100% true to canon I wanted to add my own little spin to it.

Master Yoda had taken a group of younglings to Illum, a sacred place for the Jedi. The place where Caleb and Cal would discover their first kyber crystal. 

Cal’s challenge was common for one so timid, face your fear. In this case, he saw so many hues of force echoes coating the ice room around him his mind couldn’t keep up. 

Red on the walls hissing angrily, Blue indicating sorrow on the floor, purple on the stalactites hanging from the ceiling, fear. Finally, in the very center of the room, there was a pillar with a black light surrounding a pure white crystal. Pain. 

“One such aspect of sensing echos is the color hue they emit” Quinlan Vos’s training echoing in his mind. “Based on who sensed the echo, the color of the emotion changes.” 

“What do you mean?” Cal had asked.

“ I associate the color purple with pain, so when I sense an echo that is particularly painful, I see a purple haze,so I know what to expect.” 

Cal scrunched up his face, eyebrows knitted. “You see different colors? I just see blue”

“That’s because your still getting used to your power,” Vos grinned “ The more you train, the more you’ll start to see other colors. Until then, it’s a gamble” 

“That’s no fun” Cal said with a pout

“Ha! Don’t I know it kid.”

Cal shook his head, as if throwing the memory from his mind. He was running out of time. At this rate, he won’t get back in time to the others. 

“Alright, you can do this, just one step at a time” reassuring himself, he took one step forward. 

Cal’s vision was flooded with a blue haze as he heard screams and cry’s of sorrow rip through him. 

Keep going!

Fighting through the haze he took another step, and another, and another. Tears streaming down his face from the intensity of the echos, his ears started ringing. 

Halfway to the end is when he made a fatal error. Tripping on a ledge, Cal fell forward, grabbing at the nearby wall to steady himself. 

Just as sorrow flooded his body, the anger came, red hot fury. It was a snowstorms and a lightning storms, hot and cold, anger yet sadness. 

“You can’t do this” “You’ll never become a Jedi” “They should have left you in that scrap heap where you belong” “what a waste that a kid like you got such a rare gift” 

Voices of doubt echoed through Cal’s head as he was on his knees, still gripping the wall. 

“Come on Cal what are you doing on the ground? You got to stand up!” A familiar voice rang in his ears.

Cal tilted his head up to find Caleb stand there- was that Caleb? No it could be. Caleb wasn’t here. He couldn’t be here. He had already found his crystal on the other side of the trial grounds, waiting for the ice to melt over the lake so he could reach it. 

“Hello!! Illum to Cal!! You just gonna sit there or what?” Caleb shook his outstretched hand. 

“It’s time to go get your kyber crystal! Just grab my hand, I’ll walk with you if you’re nervous” he said with a wink.

“Caleb you can’t be here, you have to go get your kyber crystal. Plus I-“ Cal looked down “I don’t think I can do it”

“Cal,” Caleb knelt down in front of speaking in a gentle voice. 

“Just because Psychometry let’s you see the past, doesn’t mean you have to live in it. I can help you move forward, but it up to you to decide if you want to take that first step”

He wordlessly stuck his hand out. The offer was extended. Cal gulped, staring in Caleb’s eyes. 

“It is up to me too take that first step...”

Cal reached out, and took his hand. 

Each step towards the crystal became lighter, he could fell the anger subdue and the sorrow slip away.

It wasn’t until the kyber crystal- his crystal -was in his hands that he said “Thank you” 

But when Cal turned around, Caleb was gone. 

——————-

“ Of course, why does my kyber crystal have involve me waiting for a stupid lake to freeze over?” Running a hand through his hair, Caleb complained to the air.

“ I bet Sammo and Tai already have theirs and will make fun of me on the way back” he grumbled. 

The task was simple, find and retrieve your kyber crystal and get out before the entrance refreezes. Caleb felt the pull after a few minutes of searching, it sat nestled in a block of ice, on the other side of a lake of water. 

“This water is freezing, you’ll freeze to death before reaching the halfway point” Tai had told him. 

“You’ll have to wait for the lake to refreeze, but i doubt you’ll have the patience” Sammo teased him.

So there he sat, waiting for the ice to freeze over so he could get his crystal and make his first lightsaber. 

Both Tai and Sammo were in his group of younglings but he was hesitant to call them friends. They mostly made fun of him anyway.

Once he met Cal, he made it a point to hang out with him, avoiding the others in his group. Cal was way better company anyway, and much nicer.

“Ugh this is so boring!” He threw a nearby rock into the lake watch the splash and the rippling. 

“Can’t even sit still for a few hours? Wow, that’s kind of pathetic.” 

Caleb jumped up from his seated position next to the water and spun around.

“Cal? What are you doing here, aren’t you supposed to be finding your crystal?”

It was definitely Cal standing a few feet away from him, but something was off. His voice sounded colder, and he was out of focus. Caleb has to squint his eyes to see him clearly.

“Waiting on you obviously, I know your dense but I thought even you could figure this out” 

Something was wrong.

“You’re not Cal, who are you?” Taking a step back he went on the defensive. 

“A friend,” Cal- no -Not Cal said breezily. “I’m just here to tell you all your insecurities are true”

Caleb scrunched up his face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means Cal finds you annoying, just like your little friends Tai and Sammo.”

“You’re wrong, there is no way that’s true” Caleb said stiffly. 

“Oh but it is, he loathes your presence. Cal has only stuck around because you helped him out at the infirmary.” The figure scoffs, “He feels he owes you some sort of debt”

“Cal isn’t like that, he wouldn’t hang out with me cause of something like that, that’s stupid. Caleb crosses his arms.

Cal wouldn’t feel that way, would he? What if this lookalike was right? What if Caleb was too annoying for him, asked too many questions, but he didn’t say anything?

“Worst of all, he talks behind your back. He says that you’re too impatient and no master would be willing to put up with you. That you are worthle-“

“Stop”

Caleb’s voice echoed through the large cavern. 

“That’s where you are wrong, Cal may be a lot of things, but he would NEVER say the stuff you claim” 

He took a step forward.

“Cal is a wonderful person who is exceptionally gifted, and the nicest person I’ve ever met”

Another step

“Don’t ever try to make me doubt myself or Cal again.”

The figure smiled wide, face splitting in half with a grin.

“Good. Trust in yourself and your friends and you might yet have the power to become great.”

The figure pointed at the lake, now completely frozen. 

“It’s time to get your crystal young one, good luck”

The kyber crystal was in Caleb’s hands in an instant, and when he turned back around, the figure disappeared.


	3. Echoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb and his experiences with Cal’s psychometry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another experimental chapter where I play around with Cal’s Psychometry and how Caleb deals with it

Ever since their first encounter, Caleb has done everything in his power to not trigger a psychometry vision. Pouring over all the study material in the library, he wanted to be prepared for when the next echo occurs.

Cal’s gift was a finicky thing, some times the echo’s wash over him like cool water leaving him in a pleasant mood. “I’m fine” he would say, waking from a vision. “Birds used to build a nest in this spot” or “A Padawan met their Master under this tree” He always had a soft smile during these visions. 

Some would leave him annoyed, “There was a droid that was destroyed” he had said once, during an outing at corresant. “What did you see this time?” Caleb had asked genuinely curious. “This one wasn’t a sight echo, but I could hear the anguish of the droid as thieves scrapped it for parts” “We should leave then,” he had said gently grabbing Cal’s hand to which he didn’t respond. A dark cloud had hung over him the rest of the day.

There was the one which made him obsessive. He had locked himself into a corner of the archives and didn’t go back to his dorm till Caleb physically carried him kicking and screaming.

“Let me go! I swear to the High Moons Caleb Dume if you don’t let me down right now I’ll-“ 

“-tell Master Windu I know.”

Jocasta Nu waved as Caleb carried Cal out of the archives. “Thank you Caleb!” She called, clearly amused. “No problem! I’ll make sure he gets back to our dorm safely!” He called back, spinning on his heel to face the door, before continuing down to the dorm rooms.

That earned him a slap in head from his cargo. “Stop spinning, your making me dizzy!” “Ugh you’re so needy” Caleb chided,“ and can’t you find another Master to threaten me with? Why not that big purple one I’ve seen you hanging around, What’s his name again? Jar Open table?” Cal groaned. “There is no way you are serious! It’s Jaro Tapal, he just came back from a mission from Lasan.”

Caleb whistled “sounds impressive, does he have something to do with why you’re in the library 24/7?” 

Cal turned his face away, turning red he said “Maybe just a little, you remember when we met right?” 

“How could I forget? I heroically saved you then got months of cleaning duty cause of it!” “Hey,” Cal began to grin “You didn’t have to be so dramatic and lock 2-B1 in the medical closet.” 

“Anyway so as I was saying,” he paused, seemingly pulling up the memory. “ I was in the infirmary in the first place because of a particularly bad echo, there was a lot of war and blood, but the thing I remember most was a voice that said something in an unknown language.” 

“Let me guess,” Caleb interrupted “you become obsessed with finding this mystery language so you can translate” 

He looks at Cal and smiles “You’re pretty impressive Red if not a little reckless” “Thanks I got it from you” he replied giving a cheeky grin of his own. 

“ I search for a long time before I thought to ask Master Tapal for his help, after all he caused the echo” “Wow look at the big detective brain on Cal, real nice” Cal slapped his shoulder “Shut up and let me finish! So I talk to him about it and he says that it’s La’saut, the language of his people. He offered to teach me the language, and I said yes, obviously!” 

“Wow that’s quite the story, and it looks like we’re at our dorm.” Caleb stepped inside their shared room, Cal’s stuff all neatly organized on the right, and his messily on the left. 

They were home. 

As he set Cal down from his grip, he asked “If you said yes to Master Tapal’s lessons, then why were you spending so much time in the library?” 

Cal turned to face him. “Just finishing up some minor research before starting, I don’t like going in without a plan.” 

“So that means you are trying to impress him, why? Do you want Master Tapal to pick you as his Padawan?”

There was a brief silence as Cal lowered his head, he could almost here Cal’s brain working.

“Yes” 

Cal stated quietly before whipping his head up, eyes blazing with determination. Caleb almost took a step back suddenly feeling like the air was knocked out of him. Not once in their friendship had Cal look so sure of anything. 

“I’m proud of you buddy “ was Caleb’s response, “he would be foolish to not pick you” 

Cal just smiled.


	4. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short interaction between Cal and Ahsoka

Cal was having a great day, the sun was shining, morning lessons were a breeze, and best of all, he got praised by Master Windu.

“Your footwork has improved” He had said, after Cal’s duel with Ahsoka had ended with him flat on his back, practice saber to his throat. “It will be a while before you could take her in a fight, but you held your own far longer than I expected.” 

Even when giving compliments his voice was judgmental, Cal didn’t care much though. Receiving compliments from Master Windu was a rare occasion, only given to the best and brightest of the younglings. While Cal was sure he was far from the best, it was still a nice feeling to be considered one of the better ones, at least in dueling.

“You did well Cal,” Ahsoka said lowering her practice saber and holding out her hand “You put up a pretty good fight, but you lack confidence” 

Cal grabbed her hand and she helped him to his feet. “ Have more faith in your abilities, and trust your instincts. The force will guide you.” Cal gave a solemn nod. “Yes Padawan Tano, I’ll do better next time” 

Ahsoka grinned, giving him a pat on the back. Leaning in closer she said in a micheivious voice “It wouldn’t hurt to take a few risks now and again too, it’ll make you look cooler” 

“While I do agree that Cal needs to demonstrate more confidence, I hardly think taking risks is appropriate Padawan Tano.”

Both Padawan and youngling snapped to attention, remembering that Master Windu was standing only a few feet away. Whoops.

“There is a difference between making calculated risks, and being foolishly reckless. I believe your friend Caleb falls on the latter side of the spectrum Cal.”

Cal raised his head at the mention of his friend. “But for all of his reckless decisions, he does possess an astute amount of confidence in his abilities, you could learn a thing or two from him.”   
Did Master Windu just compliment Caleb? Maybe the heat was getting to him.

“Yes Master, I will take that into consideration next time.” 

“Very good” Master Windu said with a nod. “Thank you for your help today, Padawan Tano. I’m sure Skywalker will be eager to have you back on missions”

“It was no trouble at all Master,” she said with a bow.

“Good work you two, Dismissed” 

Outside the training hall, Ahsoka’s comlink chimed. 

“Ugh that’s my master. Looks like we are going out on another mission.” She said while making a face. “A word of advice Cal, don’t pick a master who’s so needy” 

“Will do, Ahsoka” Cal said with a grin, “Thanks for the duel, and good luck out there!” 

“No problem kid! You’re going to do great things one day, I know it.” She flashed him a smile and with a wave, she was off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going to finish the final chapter of these mini stories then I’ll move on to post order 66 stuff! Not super proud of these ngl just wanted to throw some more baby Cal and Kanan stuff out there.


	5. Home

“So it would seem that I find myself in need of an apprentice” 

Ever since Master Bilaba spoke those word Caleb Dume was living in a dream. Not to say that his life wasn’t dreamlike before. Training to use magical force powers and bring peace to the galaxy wasn’t exactly what normal humans did. Just this time he would be able to put all of his training to actual use instead of being cooped up in the temple. His friend’s Tai and Sammo did not take too kindly to the news however. 

“Face it Caleb,” Tai said with her arms crossed “You’re just not ready.” A frown etched on her face. Sammo bit his thumb  
“You know how high her casualty rates are, you’re just going to get yourself killed, or worse!” 

It had hurt of course. 

Tai and Sammo weren’t his best friends, but they were friendly enough with each other during training. He had hoped for some positive reassurance. Maybe a pat on the back or a congratulations, but not such strong negative emotions. 

This brought back old insecurities to the surface. “Maybe they’re right, maybe I’m not ready” he thought. But he saw Cal’s reaction, his insecurities disappeared in a puff of smoke. 

Eyes sparkling, practically jumping up and down Cal looked at him like he hung the stars. His face split in half and he cheered, throwing his hands up in the air and threw his arms around Caleb in a hug, giggles spilling from his lips like a waterfall. 

“This is the best news I’ve ever heard!” 

“Why? So you’ll finally be rid of me?” Caleb said in jest. 

“No of course not” Cal pulled away frowning, “Now we can really start our journey and get out of here!” 

“Huh? We? Wait do you mean... He finally asked you!!” The smile came back, now twice as blinding.

“Yes! You are now speaking to Cal Kestis! Padawan of the legendary Jaro Tapal!” Caleb was left gasping. 

It was about time. Cal had been training under Master Tapal for at least a year at this point. Ever since their first encounter resulted him ending up in the infirmary, Tapal had been giving Cal supplementary training with his echos, even bringing in Quinlan Vos to aid his development. The longer these supplemental trainings went on, the more it became clear that Cal was a Padawan in everything but name. If it wasn’t for initiate trials, Cal would have left to the stars with his master ages ago.

“And now that you have now been chosen, you are now Caleb Dume, Padawan from the mythical Depa Billaba!” Cal announced.

A chime rang from both of their coms. “Looks, like my master is calling for me” 

“Mine too...”

They both looked up at each other brimming with excitement. 

“Well! Let’s get to work!”

———————————————————

The weeks that followed were a whirlwind of activity. Between trainings with their new masters, assignments from the council, attending meetings, and adjusting to there new normal, Caleb and Cal barely had time to breathe. 

“Ah.. Master Tapal and Padawan Kestis it seems you’ve arrived.”

Tapal strode into the council room large shoulders towering over most of the masters present. Behind him, just barely reaching his torso, followed Cal Hurrying to cover the large ground his master left with each step. 

Mace Windu stood at the head of the holotable with Master Yoda hovering to his right on his floating chair. Directly across from Master Tapal and Cal stood Master Billaba with Caleb.

“Now that everyone has arrived let us begin” Mace stated waving a hand over the holotable.

“We are on a tight schedule today, so I’ll keep this meeting brief. There has been unrest on the planets Bracca and Kaller for a while now, but we are suspecting it has gotten out of hand.” He sighed and rubbed his forehead. 

“It’s really a mess on both ends, and since both of you” he said gesturing to both Depa and Jaro “have taken on new padawans recently, The council has decided to send you and your platoon to mediate the issue as well as exterminate any separatist forces. That way both padawans can gain field experience.”

The masters took it well of course, being sent around the galaxy was just a normal day for them at this point. Caleb and Cal on the other hand, did everything in their power not to explode from excitement. 

“Master Billaba you will take Kaller, and Master Tapal you’ll take Bracca.” Caleb’s face twists with joy. Cal is shaking so hard he is almost levitating. 

“Yes Masters, it will be done” 

Mace nods, “Good. You are leaving by shuttle tomorrow morning. Dismissed. And May The Force Be With You” A low rumble of “and also with you” is heard before the Masters Bilaba and Tapal exit the room, their two padawans following closely behind them. 

Just seconds after the door is shut, a very loud “Yes!” Followed by laughter is heard outside the door. Master Windu shakes his head.

“Padawans”  
——————————————

That night, on one of the ivory white spirals attached to the temple. Two newly minted padawans met under the stars.

It had been a long held tradition between the two, whenever something miraculous happened or a landmark would be achieved, Cal and Caleb watched the stars as a celebration of sorts.

“Look at that one, looks kinda like a wolf” Caleb says pointing at the constellation. 

“Huh, weird. Looks like a squirrel thing with big ears and weird stick legs” Cal responded drawing his finger over the pattern in the sky. 

“You must need to get your eyes checked it obviously a wolf”

“huh,” Cal frowned “this is just like when you said you saw a lothcat in the sky, I think you’re the one who needs to get your eyes checked” Caleb sat up quickly and turned to his friend, eyebrows furrowed. 

“There was! It was a Lothcat in the sky and you know it! Not that weird three eyed lizard thing you supposedly saw.” 

It was Cal’s turn to look offended. “I thought this was going to be a nice going away party but noooo, you just had to pick on me.” He sat up and pulled something out of his pocket, “I even made you a going away present,” clicking his tongue he turned away “guess you won’t get it now” 

Caleb fought the urge to roll his eyes at his friends dramatics but then, with the strength of a bantha, Cal threw a grey object off the tower. 

In an instant Caleb threw himself almost off the edge, scrambling on his hands and knees, while throwing his arm out and sighed in relief as the object stopped falling and hovered in the air, just barely out of reach.

A sigh of relief rushed out of Caleb as he heard Cal laughing hysterically in the background. “Red! Are you out of your kriffing mind??” A flush of red coated his face as Cal choked out an “Apparently!” between bouts of uproarious laughter. 

Turning back to the task at hand, he turned back to the object hovering in the air, which he now recognized as a holotape, and coaxed the object safety into his hand, before collapsing in a heap, breathing raggedly. 

“I never expected you to act so quickly,” said Cal. His laughter now collapsing into quiet giggles. “Your reflexes have improved” 

“No thanks to you!” Caleb shot back, turning the holotape over in his hands. “What’s this supposed to be anyway? A recording?” 

Cal pushed himself forward and sat next to Caleb, swinging his legs haphazardly off the tower. “Yes, this is our first mission, and while i am so excited to go kick the separatist off of Bracca, I know I’m going to get homesick and I felt like maybe, I mean I figured that you might” he stumbled over his words, eyes far away like he was searching for something.

“... you figured I might feel homesick too” Caleb finished for him. 

“Yes” 

Cal took a deep breath and pressed on, “I made that recording so if you ever get homesick...” Cal ducked his head, covering his eyes with his hand “ you could watch it and remember what home feels like.” 

Caleb didn’t know how to react. His friendship with Cal had been both a rollercoaster and a steady sort of comfort. He had been so excited to finally, finally get away from the temple on his first mission, but he had forgotten what he was leaving behind. Cal wore his heart on his sleeve, way more than Caleb at least. But truly genuine moments between the two was few and far between. Caleb didn’t know how to react, but he did know what to do.

“Cal,” he said gently, pulling his friends hand from his face. “Thank you. You make me feel like home.” The smile that Caleb received was the brightest one yet.

That morning, a holotape was slipped under Cal’s door with a note that simply said, “Home”. And that was the last time they spoke before Caleb Dume died in Mygeeto, leaving Kanan Jarrus rising from the ashes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m done! Now it’s time to start planning out my long fic! Next time these two meet they will be much older, and not that much smarter. :) Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Y’all are giving me the serotonin I need to keep going lol


End file.
